


His strength is making me stronger

by yourbuttervoicedbeau (kiwiana)



Series: Songs from the Jukebox [Prompt Fills] [24]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Grief/Mourning, Jukebox Prompt, M/M, Minor Character Death, POV David Rose, Post-Canon, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:40:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25718206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiwiana/pseuds/yourbuttervoicedbeau
Summary: He broke down in his childhood bedroom the night before the funeral, and David had finally been allowed to take care of him.The problem they’re having now, six weeks later, is that... well, Patrick had to get both the caretaking and the stubbornness from somewhere.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Series: Songs from the Jukebox [Prompt Fills] [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775569
Comments: 15
Kudos: 176





	His strength is making me stronger

**Author's Note:**

  * For [samwhambam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/samwhambam/gifts).



> Yet again, samwhambam dropping the irresistible prompts. This one was “After Clint passes away, they ask Marcy to move into the in law unit on their property for a few months until she’s okay”. As always with Jukebox prompts it’s unedited, barely reread, and written on my phone, so apologies for what I’m sure is a multitude of errors.
> 
> Title is from Taylor Swift.

Patrick has always been a caretaker. David is well aware of this. It’s manifested itself in all sorts of ways during their relationship, right from when they were just business partners and Patrick (sort of) learned how to wire lights at 11pm.

In the days leading up to the funeral, Patrick had been impossible. Rushing around trying to take care of everyone and everything, running himself ragged, not stopping to breathe. When David had gently suggested that he was allowed to take a beat and mourn his own father, Patrick had shrugged him off.

He broke down in his childhood bedroom the night before the funeral, and David had finally been allowed to take care of _him._

The problem they’re having now, six weeks later, is that... well, Patrick had to get both the caretaking and the stubbornness from somewhere.

Patrick stabs rather forcefully at his phone screen to end the call before flinging the phone on to the coffee table, making David wince. “She’s impossible,” he growls, sinking into the couch before accepting the tea David hands him silently. David had started boiling the water as soon as Patrick said _I’m going to call my mom,_ already predicting where the conversation would end.

“Mm, I wouldn’t know anything about dealing with that,” David says softly as he sits down beside his husband. “Hey, come here.”

Patrick sets his drink down before nestling into David’s side with the kind of practiced ease years of marriage has afforded them. He brings a hand up to David’s hair, running his fingers through the strands that has long since become a gesture to comfort Patrick as much as it does David. He doesn’t say a word — the silver fox jokes, so prominent since David started freaking out over the grey hairs coming in, have dried up since they lost Clint. David knows it’s because to Patrick, his hair is no longer a sign that he’s ageing (somewhat) gracefully but instead a reminder of his mortality.

Selfishly, he hopes they come back. He’s far happier growing old with Patrick than he would be staying young with anybody else. 

“I don’t know how to convince her,” Patrick finally sighs. “It would be good for her to come here, get away for a bit.”

“It would.” Patrick already knows, of course, that David agrees with him — they talked it over for days before first asking Marcy to come and live in their in law unit for a while — but Patrick is the type of person who needs to process things out loud, and David learned a long time ago that it’s easier if he gives some sort of verbal acknowledgement while he does.

“She’s just so far away,” Patrick whispers. “I’m so far away. If she needs me.”

It’s been twenty-three years since Patrick moved to Schitt’s Creek. Twenty-one of those have been filled with regular trips back and forth and even more regular FaceTime calls and daily text chains, with love and laughter and fulfilment. But David knows with a surety only two decades with the same person can give him that those first two years still weigh heavily on Patrick’s conscience.

“Why is she being so stubborn about this?” Patrick finally bursts out, and David can’t quite hold back the snort that escapes him.

“Ah yes, a lack of stubbornness, that noted family trait,” he laughs at Patrick’s half-hearted glare. “Like when you got sick, and stayed in bed like you were told so it _didn’t_ develop into full-blown pneumonia.”

Patrick shakes his head, a small smile on his face. “Okay, you may have a point,” he concedes.

“Luckily for you,” David continues, “I am well-practiced in getting stubborn Brewers to do what I want.”

Patrick raises an eyebrow. “Not sure that’s going to work on my mom, David.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure, but that’s not what I meant. Hey,” he adds more softly in the face of Patrick’s eyeroll. “One way or another, we’ll look after your mom. I promise.”

Patrick leans back into him. “I know. Thank you, David.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Come and find me on [Tumblr](http://yourbuttervoicedbeau.tumblr.com).


End file.
